How to find a part-time job in Australia as a student

Indian students in Australia can work part time in paid jobs, internships, volunteer programs and elsewhere. Students looking to work part time have a restriction on the number of hours they can work, but they should also be aware of their rights at work.

Many Indian students in Australia choose to work at part-time jobs to complement their tuition and living expenses, to gain work experience in their area of interest and enjoy the personal development and growth that comes with working in a foreign culture. However, in order to make sure that they are not going against any rules and regulations that the Australian government has for employment of international students, Indian students should know the facts before they take on a part-time job.

Who is eligible for part-time jobs in Australia?

Indian students who have applied for visas after 26 April 2008 are automatically granted the permission to work by the Australian Government. If the student has a dependent family members living with them, they are also allowed to work part time. At the same time, it should be noted that part-time work can only be limited to forty hours for every two weeks (from Monday to the second Sunday) during your course of study, and during vacations, you can work as long as you want. Students who have permission to work and are enrolled in Masters Courses or Doctoral degrees can work unlimited hours after their course begins. In addition, work cannot begin until the course has started for all students.

If, for any reason, your student visa does not allow you to work while in Australia, you will need to separately apply for permission to work after your course begins. For dependents and family members who have permission to work, the 40-hour per fortnight rule also applies, except for dependents of students enrolled in Masters by coursework or research, or Doctoral degrees by research. In these cases, the dependents can work for unlimited number of hours.

For students who are below school leaving age - 15 years in most Australian states and territories - there is a rule that forbids them from working during school hours.

If your course is in session

As mentioned earlier, you can only begin working part-time if your course is already in session (a semester has begun or examinations are underway). For students who have completed their studies and are still within their 'Confirmation of Enrolment' period, the course is still considered to be in session. This means, you can continue to work even after your studies are over. If you take on an additional course, the credits for which will be credited to the principal course, the main course is still in session, allowing you to work.

What are your rights?

Everyone working in Australian Territories and states are entitled to certain basic rights at work. These apply to students working part-time as well. These rights protect the worker with:

Entitlement to minimum wages

Rest periods and breaks

Safe and healthy work environments

The right to challenge unfair dismissals

Most Australian employers are covered by an award that sets work conditions and minimum wages in a given industry or field. More information about fair work, unpaid trials, work experience and internships can be found here.

Note that anyone who works in Australia will need to obtain a tax file number. More information about obtaining this number and paying taxes is available at the Australian Taxation Office website.

Types of part time work available

There are many avenues to search for work in Australia, and part-time paid work is available in several industries including:

Tutoring

Clerical or administration roles

Sales and telemarketing

Fruit-picking and farming

Tourism

Hospitality

Retail

For students that have professional work experience or qualifications, they may be able to gain casual or part-time paid work in their area of expertise.

Paid or unpaid internships are also good options to explore, since they expose students to the professional, creative and financial industries. Several NGOs and charities also need volunteers to help out. Volunteering can be a good way to gain experience, make new friends and give back to the community. More information about volunteering in Australia is available here.

Finding part time work

Indian students can search in various traditional and non-traditional sources for part-time work while they are studying in Australia. These include:

Online job sites

Newspapers

Recruitment firms where you can register your name for short-term or casual work

Job notice boards at your campus or institution website

Also contact the international student support staff at your institution to find out about the working opportunities available at your institution

Article by JuanaJuana is a freelance writer publishing with Constant Content and sister sites of Techulator. She writes on a variety of subjects that interest her. She is a voracious reader and that helps her keep abreast with the latest in technology. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Eng. Lit, is a mom, a wife, a homemaker and a qualified teacher.

Related Articles

Applying for a student visa to Australia? Find out the application process, the fees involved, the importance of obtaining a COE and more information to make the process of application as smooth as possible.

UK student visas for Indian students are Tier 4 (general) visas that can be applied for online or at a visa application center near you. Find out the process of application, including how to fill the application form, the interview process and other information.

Students looking for financial assistance for pursuing higher studies and research in Australia have a number of scholarships, grants and fellowships to turn to, offered by the Australian Government, Commonwealth organizations, the Rotary Club and other bodies.

Which GMAT guide book do you prepare from to begin your preparations or take your scores to the next level? This list takes a look at the top 10 guidebooks for GMAT preparation in Verbal, Quantitative, Analytical Writing Assessment and Integrated Reasoning sections.

Comments

Guest Author: Akhil13 Jul 2015

The author has covered a very good topic for an article. It is a general trend among educated unemployed youth to look for employment opportunities in developed countries. The article is likely to be informative and useful for such aspirants.

Guest Author: Akhil14 Jul 2015

The content is meant for students who want to supplement their earnings while studying at universities in Australia. It covers rules applicable to them and speaks of the entitlement of international students, wanting to work while studying. Students studying in Australia can work part-time and earn money to fund their stay. It is in the interest of international students that they follow all the rules when finding/working part-time. The good thing is there are a lot of well paying part-time jobs where students can work, during their stay in Australia.

Guest Author: rishav74508 Aug 2015

There are so many online site are providing part time jobs and they are also providing the best service with their conditions,

Part time jobs are best because people can operate from anywhere. so earn from home by doing your home work with taking care of all your sweeshearts.

Notify me by email when others post comments to this article.

Do not include your name, "with regards" etc in the comment. Write detailed comment, relevant to the topic.

How to choose the right educational consultant for overseas educationAre you aspiring to study abroad? Searching for information about various foreign universities and the programs, they offer? Then you will benefit by taking help of an educational consultant. In this article, you will find some guidelines and tips on how to choose the right educational consultant and get admission to the program of your choice in any university abroad. Read on to know more.

Top 10 Study Abroad Destinations for 2016 - 2017Studying Abroad gives added advantage of internationally recognized degree with little extra cost. All countries invite Indian applicants to study and work at ease. But where to go; which college, course or country to chose are some general questions continuously bothers new applicants. To help you in Purpose Study Abroad I have complied here Top 10 Study Abroad Destinations for 2016 - 2017 academic year.